Sorry for the bit of a wait, I had to put 2 days together and two long things had to happen.
Huge thanks to:
jazzandbellsfor making my day, if you haven't read her story,Werewolves and Volleyball, then you should.
AlecAndBella, who very nicely wrote a one-shot for me, because I reviewed pretty much every chapter of her story,The Volturi Saga New Dawn, after she had completed it. It's calledYellow Rose. Thanks, I loved it and I may request another one soon.
And finally to Gotta Dance 88, for being my big sis and my wonderful beta.
Onward to the emotional chapter.
Disclaimer: I don't own 'Twilight' or any of the characters. I do however own Johanna, Jacque and Johanna's human husband.
Chapter 9 – Finding a Friend
Carlisle and Johanna landed with identical soft thuds and ran back to the house. Alice proceeded to pounce on Johanna the moment she walked in the door. She squealed as she caught sight of Johanna's new locket. "What does the inscription say?"
Johanna smiled a mischievous smile and read the inscription in its original French.
"That's not what I meant." Alice scowled, hitting Johanna's arm lightly. Johanna laughed. "It means, 'May your pride in yourself, your homeland and your heritage, never cease or fade away. Your friend, and mentor, Dr. Carlisle Cullen.'"
"It suits you very well." Jasper said, "but, why a gold locket? Why not silver?" Carlisle shared a sad smile with Johanna. Johanna spoke with a faraway look in her eyes. "When you and Jacque are finally married, I shall give you a gold locket as a wedding present to remind you that you have a heart of gold, and so that you remember that you'll always have a place in mine."
"Johanna." Carlisle called softly. Johanna's eyebrow cocked as she stared out of the corner of her eye. She shook her head softly. Her braid unraveled itself and land in soft gentle waves down to her derrière. "Mon apologies, mon ami. Just remembering how I don't 'ave ze one picture zat I would ever want to put en a locket."
"And what is that, Johanna?" Esme asked quietly. Johanna smiled an all-knowing smile, and Carlisle groaned. "You'll see en a week at most."
"She's just as cryptic as Alice!" Emmett moaned as Johanna followed Alice upstairs.
Bella Swan got to school earlier than normal. Edward Cullen had some explaining to do. She put her earphones in and started to think as she waited. 'What was his problem? Was he just having a bad day? No not all. He was laughing with Johanna as they entered the cafeteria and after she had sat down next to him.'
The sound of Emmett's jeep pulling in pulled Bella out of her musing. She watched as everyone got out. Jasper hopped out and extended his hand to Johanna. Once she was out, he wrapped his arm around her, and started whispering in her ear. Johanna made no movement that showed she was listening. She seemed, even to Bella, to be deep in thought. Edward Cullen never showed.
Johanna had been distracted all through her class and when Bella asked where Edward was during English, she had vaguely answered that he was off on some family business. She walked into the cafeteria a little late, looking like an art critic with her dark blue see through dress with attached black slip, black high heeled pumps and a light blue scarf around her neck. She was wearing a blue bracelet and turquoise and brass triple drop earrings. She had her purple tote and a lovely blue ponytail holder holding her French braid intact. Johanna took a seat between Jasper and Rosalie, laying her head down on her arms while Jasper rubbed her back soothingly.
"Je vous remercie beaucoup Jasper. Zank you very much." Johanna smiled up at him.
"You seemed to have quite a lot on your mind. Is there anything I can do to help?" Jasper asked concernedly. Johanna smiled gratefully. "Zank you for ze offer. You are helping more zan you know. Eets very soothing." She let a contented sigh and closed her eyes. Jasper smiled and continued to rub her back.
"What do you think is wrong? I bet it's Edward. He was being a jerk to her." Emmett said. He like Jasper saw Johanna as his little sister and couldn't wait till she got used to him. They would be amazing prank partners!
"I think it was something Edward said. Did you how mad she got? He obviously hit a nerve." Rosalie commented.
"It's almost time for class." Alice said, not wanting to continue the topic. Johanna's eyes popped open. "Ah, but I'm not going to class, as eet will do nozeeng to ease my mind." She kissed Jasper on both cheeks for his help. She picked up her tote and step away from the table. "I'll see you all at 'ome."
The Cullens watched her leave, wondering what had happened between her and Edward and what they could do to help.
Johanna came downstairs to watch Jasper and Emmett play video games with Alice and Rosalie. They laughed as Emmett and Jasper traded insults. A few hours later, Esme came downstairs in a green floral dress and light green pumps. She wore her Cullen bracelet along with matching Murano glass bead necklace and bracelet. She carried a green and white wicker basket.
"Ooooooo, you look really nice Esme. Where are you going?" Johanna asked distracted from watching the boys.
Esme smiled. "Thank you, Johanna. You look nice as well. I'm going to go work in my garden." She had also noticed Johanna's withdrawn behavior and wondered how she could fix it. "Would you like to help?" Esme knew she had made the right choice when she saw a smile light up Johanna's face. In the days that Johanna had been with the Cullens, they had learnt that if Johanna didn't have a smile on her face or in her eyes that something was wrong. She figured, like everyone one else, that Edward had hit a sore nerve.
Johanna changed her clothes in the literal blink of her eye. She now wore a light blue cami and blue jean shorts. Her accessories and shoes were still in place, but her dress was now draped over arm. She laid it and all her accessories, except her ponytail holder on the sparkling clean counter and placed her shoes at the bottom. Johanna followed Esme outside barefooted. Esme grabbed a green garden kneeler and placed it next to the one already on the ground. She knelt on her kneeler and started taking gardening tools out of her cute basket. Johanna moved hers out of the way and knelt bare-kneed on the wet grass. Esme gave her a questioning glance.
"I'm a bit of a sensualist, I guess. I love feeling zeengs with my 'ands and feet, which es why I was barefooted when you first met me."
"Have you always been like this? Going barefooted so you can feel the wet grass beneath your feet?" Esme asked as they got to work. Johanna laughed softly. "Oh yes. I 'ave always felt something before I bought eet; did eet with food, ribbons, fabric and pottery. Carlisle zeenks eets because I'm a vampiric fairy and impenetrable, but I loved doing eet when I was 'uman as well. Some much of me es vampire, zat zere esn't much fairy left. Eet 'elps me stay connected with ze my fairy nature and my 'umanity. Eet's one reason I love gardening so much."
Esme nodded, silently asking Johanna to continue. Johanna sighed happily and contentedly. "Eet's so soozeeng and allows me to get down and dirty with my 'ands, whilst creating somezeeng beautiful. I made sure zat every tiny 'ouse Carlisle and I leeved en 'ad a garden. We often 'ad a vegetable garden, but sometimes we 'ad both flower and vegetable gardens." Johanna thought for a moment, and then continued. "You know Esme, our 'estory are closer zan you zeenk. Practically identical. Ze only zeengs zat separate us es zat my Prince Charming disappeared months before I was changed. Carlisle changed you because 'e loved you and not for your power and ze one zeeng zat I wanted and was given was cruelly ripped away, before I received ze rewards from eet!"
They worked silently for a while. Esme pondered what Johanna had had cruelly ripped away from her. Esme noticed that Johanna was getting close to talking about had her out of sorts, and constantly being deep in thought. Just as she thought this, she felt Johanna's keen fairy eyes looking intently at her. When she returned Johanna's stare, she saw in Johanna's eyes that she was deciding whether or not to ask something.
Johanna stared down at her wet and dirt covered hands and knees. She felt so connected to Esme because she was just so motherly and they had practically had the same last years as humans. She was slightly jealous of Esme, but didn't resent her.
"Esme," She asked nervously. Esme smiled gently at her. "You don't 'ave to answer zees eef you don't want to, but do you ever zeenk about your 'uman 'usband?"
All background noise of the video game as well as all talking suddenly stopped. It was that moment that Carlisle walked into the house, having heard what Johanna asked his wife. To say he was shocked, would be an understatement. He knew better than anyone that Johanna absolutely hated everything about her human husband and absolutely refused to acknowledge him, except when necessary. Esme took a huge unneeded breath and Johanna started stammering nervously about not wanting to make her uncomfortable. Her dead heart broke as she looked at Johanna. In that moment she looked every bit of the broken-hearted and scared fourteen year old French girl who had been forced to marry a man who could have been her father and who was abusive. She knew that it was normal in Johanna's day and age, for girls to be married sometimes as young as sixteen year old girls to be married to men who could have their father or grandfather, for money, influence and sometimes simply to support the rest of their family.
"I'm sorry; I didn't mean to upset you." Johanna murmured softly and sadly. Her nerves started up, and she started 's motherly instincts took over as she placed Johanna on her lap and soothed her. It didn't matter to Esme that Johanna was old enough to be her many great grandmother, what mattered was that she was stuck at fourteen and had been in the same situation she had been in when she was human.
"Shhh it's alright, Johanna. Yes, it's a little uncomfortable talking about Charles, but I'll always honestly answer all your questions, no matter how uncomfortable they make me. You've done nothing wrong." Esme repeated this last part over and over softly, while she rubbed Johanna's back, like Jasper had done earlier.
Once Johanna had calmed down, Esme answered her question. "I occasionally think of Charles, but that is only if I hear or see someone who reminds me of him. My thoughts don't dwell on him for long as Carlisle enters my thoughts afterward."
Esme noticed that Johanna hadn't crawled off her lap, like Alice or Rosalie would have done. "Was it something that Edward said or implied that brought this on?" she asked gently.
Johanna nodded slowly, but didn't look up at Esme. " 'E unintentionally started to say somezeeng zat Grégoire would say when 'e was mad or zeengs didn't go 'ees way."
"Ask your …Ask Bella." Esme said softly. Once again Johanna nodded. " 'E would always find a way to blame me for everyzeeng. Say eet was no wonder Jacque left. I couldn't….. I couldn't.… said I couldn't do anyzeeng right." Johanna stuttered, her eyes filling up with tears that would never be shed.
Esme gasped then steadied herself, hugging Johanna tightly. She would have a long talk with Edward when he came home and would show him exactly what he had done to Johanna.
"Johanna, look at me." Esme ordered calmly and yet firmly. It was a bit of a shock seeing Johanna's vividly expressive eyes without their lively, playful spark. They reminded Esme of what her eyes must have looked like when she was married to Charles.
"Edward didn't know what he saying was going to affect you this much, but that doesn't make it right. I'm sure that Jacque had a reasonable and worthwhile reason for leaving. Grégoire was absolutely wrong in the way that he treated you. He, like so many other abusive husbands, was making you feel like he was the only one you deserved to be with. Charles was the same way. If what they said is true, then how do we deserve to be loved, adored, and respected by men like Carlisle, and Jasper? Carlisle spent almost a century with you making sure you were well adjusted to your new life. All that mattered to him was your happiness and well-being. It still matters to him. He thought and still thinks only the highest of you and so do many others I'm sure. Jasper is an example of his own. He isn't comfortable around vampires he's just met. It took him years to be as comfortable around the rest of us as he is around you and the two of you practically just met. Our deceased husbands were nothing more than bullies, trying to make themselves feel better about themselves."
Esme smiled brightly as she watched Johanna's face return to normal. "Merci beaucoup, Esme. Eet really 'elped." Johanna hugged Esme.
They worked in the garden quietly till dusk, conversing back and forth as if the previous conversation had never happened.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ Time Break ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Rosalie knocked on Johanna's door next morning and was not at all surprised to see Johanna and Alice on her bed with Alice lovingly brushing her insanely long hair. Johanna was wearing the same metallic floral graphic tee that she wore when they first met her with designer jeans and white sneakers with magenta stripes. She also wore pearl flowered earrings and her Cullen locket. Rosalie was amused at seeing Johanna playing with a pair of white and silver snowflake earmuffs. It was a completely different look for Johanna. She hardly ever had her hair unbraided and left hanging.
"What's the occasion?" she asked after giving Johanna a full head to toe inspection. Johanna shrugged. "Didn't feel like get fancily dressed, but my outer clothes will be fancy, as I 'ave my new teal Jade skirted Mac coat, black mink-trimmed gloves and zese." She said waving the earmuffs around. "Did you want borrow somezeeng or socialize?"
"I want to borrow one of your berets."
Johanna looked Rosalie up and down from her black Alexander McQueen jacket with ruffled collar to her dark denim designer jeans and high heeled black pumps. Her accessories were minimal, only her Cullen necklace and a sheer cream colored scarf.
"I know just ze right beret. Are you done, Alice?"
"Yep, all done. Should I get all fancy with outer clothing too?" she asked sliding her legs over the edge of the bed and letting them hang. Alice was dressed similarly to Rosalie. She wore a black pleated jacket with a lace trimmed cami underneath, dark designer jeans, black ankle boots and her Cullen choker.
"Oui, veuillez. Yes, please." Johanna said as she walked into her closet. Her long unbraided hair hanged softly about her tiny body and moved with every move of her body. She came out a few seconds later, carrying a white crochet beret. " 'Ere you are Rosalie."
"Thanks." Rosalie said as she positioned the beret using Johanna's mirrors.
"Now ze outfit es complete. Are you going to join Alice and I?"
"Nope." Rosalie said as she left the room. Johanna picked up a pair of fingerless lace gloves from her bedside table and pulled them on, making Alice squeal with delight.
"You'd be surprised at ze number of pairs of fancy opera gloves I 'ave. You still need to get ento your fancy outer gear. Be glad I'm not making you wear ze beret zat came with zees set." She said as she tossed Alice a baby pink cable knit glove and scarf set. Alice caught them with ease and ran out to get her coat.
Bella got to school early once again. She was happy to see that Johanna seemed to be in a better mood.
"Yeah, she thinks she's so cool laughing with Alice Cullen and Jasper Hale." Jessica said walking up to Bella. Bella rolled her eyes. "And Lauren is still scared of her." That shut Jessica up real quickly.
Overhearing the short conversation Alice and Johanna giggled. "Eets today." Johanna said happily. Alice nodded in agreement. "What's today?" Jasper asked as he was unfortunately in between them. Alice answered. "Bella's going to sit with Johanna at lunch."
Bella looked over at the Cullen/Hale table at lunch looking for Johanna. Alice smiled at her as they caught each other's eye. Alice nodded at the table near the exit to the parking lot. Bella smiled back as Alice turned back to Jasper.
Sure enough, Johanna was sitting by herself at the table near the exit with her water bottle and a half eaten chocolate bar in front of her. She was engrossed in a book.
"May I sit with you?" Bella asked nervously.
"Bored of ze 'popular' table already?" Johanna asked without looking up.
"Jessica's annoying me and Lauren is glaring daggers at me, so yes."
Johanna smiled as she marked her place with a pretty beaded bookmark and placed the book in her tote. "Would you like me to give you a short run down of ze 'popular people' and my cousins?"
"Yes, please. Yours probably isn't going to be biased like Jessica's." Bella said as she bit into her sandwich. Bella's comment made Johanna smirk.
"Right. Mike Newton es a jock and es friends with Tyler Crowley and Eric Yorkie. 'E scared me on my first day 'ere. Jumped out of nowhere and introduced 'eemself and me, as eef I didn't know 'o I was. Beware, 'e'll be coming after you, being ze new girl and all."
Bella laughed. "He did that to me too. Clouds and humor don't mix do they?"
Johanna laughed as well. "Apparently not, but Emmett would make you zeenk ozerwise. Eric Yorkie es a geek as well as president of ze newspaper. Tyler Crowley's anozer jock. Ben Cheney es ze nicest guy at zat table. 'E a nice guy all around. I zeenk Angela 'as a lettle crush on 'eem. You already know Angela. She's my only friend outside of my cousins, but zen I 'aven't talked to many ozer people. Moving on zere's Miss Queen-bee wannabe ozerwise known as Lauren Mallory. She likes Tyler and 'ates any girl 'o Tyler es paying attention to. Zat's why she 'ates you. Jessica Stanley es ze resident gossip queen and 'as an 'uge crush on Mike. She's Lauren's lettle follower. Lauren 'ates me because I look so much better zan 'er"
"They can have Tyler and Mike, for all I care." Bella said softly and was surprised when Johanna appeared to have heard her.
Johanna laughed softly again. "Zey'll like zat. We now move on to my cousins. Jasper was ze second of my cousins to accept me, Alice beat 'eem to eet. 'E's ze nicest male cousin I know, which es saying somezeeeng as I don't know eef I 'ave ozer cousins."
Bella gasped. "What? Surely your mother and father had siblings?"
Johanna shook her tiny head. "Uncle Carlisle was ze only sibling, my mama 'ad. 'E was 'er lettle brozer. I don't know about my papa's siblings as none of zem talked to papa after 'e married mama."
"Why did they do that? Sounds sort of cruel."
"Well ze Pierre's and ze Cullen's are both really old families going back to at least ze 18th century. So zey 'ave old grudges and don't like each ozer. Don't ask why, I don't know. Now, going back to my cousins. Alice es a lot like me. She's extremely 'yper, and cheerful, as well as mischievous and a lover of fashion and shopping. Rosalie may seem like an ice queen when you first met 'er, but she's very loyal and friendly once she lets you under 'er mask. Emmett and I are going to get along splendidly, seeing as we both love being mischievous and love to play pranks. 'E looks daunting, but 'e's really not, unless you get 'eem mad. Edward and I 'ave a love 'ate relationship, but we like each ozer for ze most part. We both love music."
Bella looked at Johanna in shock. "How can you say all of that without taking a lot of breaks to breathe?" Johanna just laughed. "Alice es ze same way. She can talk so fast at times that eet's almost impossible to 'ear what she says. Eet also 'appens when we're both 'appy and excited or just really 'appy."
They took a little break so Bella could eat. Johanna sipped at her thermos- like water bottle. "Do you like to read books, Bella?" She asked awhile later. Bella nodded. "Classics."
'Ah, classics as en Shakespeare, Bronte and Austen, no? What es your favorite book?" Johanna asked curiously.
"Pride and Prejudice. What kind of books do you like to read?"
"Zat is a fantastic book! I read 'Estorical fiction, straight 'estory, fantasy, adventure with an 'estorical background. I would tell you about one of my all-time favorite books, but would take more time zan we 'ave." Johanna took a final sip of her bottle, and then put it and her empty candy wrapper in her tote, before bundling up. "I 'ave to get to ze ozer side of ze school. See you tomorrow, no?"
Bella nodded. Johanna walked over to the Cullen/Hale table where Alice was all bundled up as well. They walked out together.
"I really like 'er." Johanna told Alice that night in her room. "She likes to read and es very friendly. She didn't pity me when I told 'er parts of my cover story, which I very much like."
Alice nodded. She couldn't wait to officially meet and befriend Bella as well.
There's chapter 9. What do you think Johanna had when she was human, that was ripped away? Leave an answer with your review. I'd love to see what you think it was.
Translation:
"Je vous remercie beaucoup Jasper." = "Thank you very much, Jasper."
"Oui, veuillez." = "Yes, please."